RMIT academic integrity: plagiarism, cheating or AI use steps
Rule checked against RMIT University's own pages on .
First, read your letter carefully and check what it asks you to do; RMIT can handle a first-time, low-level breach through your course coordinator as an educational opportunity, while repeat or higher-order breaches are reported to a Senior Officer under the Student Conduct Policy. The official pages we read do not state a time limit for your first response, so confirm it in your letter and on RMIT's academic integrity page. If a Student Conduct Board or Senior Officer gives a formal outcome notification, an appeal must be lodged within 20 working days from the date of that notification.
- What happens
- A course coordinator may manage a first-time, low-level breach as an educational opportunity; more serious or repeat breaches are referred to a Senior Officer.[1]
- Who decides
- Repeat or higher-order breaches are reported to a Senior Officer to manage as a potential instance of academic misconduct under the Student Conduct Policy.[1]
- Possible penalties
- For a failure to acknowledge sources caused by lack of understanding, the course coordinator must treat it as an assessment matter and can require the assessment to be repeated and/or deduct up to 20% of the assessment mark.[1]
- Support at a meeting
- A student can be accompanied by an advocate, such as a member of the principal student organisation or a Safer Community case manager, during an investigation or conduct hearing.[2]
- Time limit to appeal
- An appeal against a student conduct decision must be lodged within 20 working days from the date of the Student Conduct Board or Senior Officer's formal outcome notification.[3]
Read your letter and the process it names
Read your letter carefully. Use it to see what RMIT is looking at and who is managing the matter. The official pages we read do not state a time limit for your first response. Confirm the deadline in your letter and on RMIT's academic integrity page, or ask RUSU Student Rights Service. Keep a copy of the letter and of anything you send. If a word or step is unclear, ask for clarification in writing. A simple first step is:
- Read the allegation and the response requested.
- Note who signed the letter.
- Keep the original letter and any attachments.
- Ask RUSU Student Rights Service if a step is unclear.
What the course coordinator can decide
RMIT staff make an initial assessment of the level of violation. A course coordinator may manage a first-time, low-level breach as an educational opportunity. This applies to breaches characterised by inexperience, lack of student knowledge, or poor writing skills. If a lack of understanding is the basis for your failure to appropriately and accurately acknowledge sources, the course coordinator must treat it as an assessment matter. The coordinator can require you to repeat the assessment task and/or deduct up to 20% of the mark for the assessment task. The coordinator must also explain that it is a breach of academic integrity, direct you to educational support services, give you a written warning that another breach of academic integrity will be handled as an allegation of academic misconduct and may result in more severe penalties, and advise the relevant school/industry cluster academic services team to record the warning. For Vocational Education assessment tasks where numerical grading is not part of the assessment rubric, marks cannot be deducted and the assessment task must be repeated.
If the matter goes to a Senior Officer
Repeat or higher-order breaches that may be intentional, deliberately planned, organised or systematic are reported to a Senior Officer. The Senior Officer manages them as a potential instance of academic misconduct under the Student Conduct Policy. Senior Officers refer to the Academic Misconduct Senior Officer Response Guidelines for guidance. If you are invited to an investigation or conduct hearing, you can be accompanied by an advocate. The advocate can be a member of the principal student organisation, a Safer Community case manager, or another person approved by a Senior Officer or Chair of the Student Conduct Board. An advocate may provide advice and is permitted to make submissions or speak on your behalf during an investigation or conduct hearing. Ask RUSU Student Rights Service about support if you are not sure who can act as an advocate.
Prepare your response with true evidence
Answer the specific allegation in your letter. You can explain what happened. Do not invent or exaggerate a reason. Do not alter a document. If you rely on evidence, it must be true and relevant. Keep copies of what you submit. Read the Student Conduct Policy and the Academic Misconduct Senior Officer Response Guidelines if your letter names them. If English is your second language, ask for clarification about any word or step you do not understand. General practical advice: keep your communication in writing where you can, and check the dates and conditions in your letter before you reply.
After a formal outcome and appeal
If a Student Conduct Board or Senior Officer gives a formal outcome notification, an appeal must be lodged within 20 working days from the date of that notification. The application must be in writing, include the evidence on which you rely to support the ground/s of appeal, and have sufficient merit or substance to warrant review or hearing under the procedure. The University Secretary and Academic Registrar (or delegate) assesses whether an application has sufficient merit or substance to warrant review or hearing. The 20 working day period runs from the date of the formal outcome notification. If you are considering an appeal, read the formal outcome notification and ask RUSU Student Rights Service for help with the process.
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Common questions
What happens if RMIT says I plagiarised for the first time?
A course coordinator may manage a first-time, low-level breach as an educational opportunity if it is characterised by inexperience, lack of student knowledge, or poor writing skills. If a lack of understanding is the basis for your failure to appropriately and accurately acknowledge sources, the coordinator must treat it as an assessment matter and can require the task to be repeated and/or deduct up to 20% of the assessment mark.
How long do I have to appeal an RMIT misconduct decision?
An appeal against a Student Conduct Board or Senior Officer decision must be lodged within 20 working days from the date of the formal outcome notification. The application must be in writing, include the evidence you rely on, and have sufficient merit or substance to warrant review or hearing.
Can I bring someone to an RMIT conduct hearing?
You can be accompanied by an advocate, such as a member of the principal student organisation or a Safer Community case manager, during an investigation or conduct hearing. An advocate may provide advice and is permitted to make submissions or speak on your behalf.
What is the deadline to respond to RMIT's first academic integrity letter?
The official pages we read do not state a time limit for your first response. Confirm the deadline in your letter and on RMIT's academic integrity page, or ask RUSU Student Rights Service.
Sources
- Academic Integrity Procedure / Document / Policy Register, RMIT University. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Student Conduct Procedure / Document / Policy Register, RMIT University. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Student Conduct - Appeals Procedure / Document / Policy Register, RMIT University. Checked 3 November 2026.